TESTING AT NON-AMBIENT TEMPERATURES

Furnaces are used to apply temperatures much higher than those achievable with environmental chambers, up to +1600°C in air and higher than +2000°C in vacuum. However, since the heat transfer mechanism in furnaces is predominantly radiation, they are not very efficient at temperatures below about +300°C. The heated volume in a furnace tends to be a lot smaller than in an environmental chamber in order to achieve high temperatures at a reasonable power requirement and cost. Grips and specimens are generally much more specific in design, utilizing specialized materials to withstand high temperatures and atmospheric degradation.

High-temperature extensometers are available for direct strain measurement at very high temperatures. Furnace design itself has developed in recent years, with traditional tube and clamshell designs being augmented by short furnaces with external gripping.

The best technical choice of a furnace system is determined by the details of your application. Apart from the obvious need to achieve a particular temperature, it is important to consider heat-up rates, set-point stability, temperature gradient, and atmospheric requirements. The specimen material may also affect the best choice of grip design and material. The nature of the results you want from your test will also influence the choice of extensometers and software for use with the furnace system. The more details we have about your application, the better able we are to advise on the best choice.